Wealth Has Its Privileges
by WingedPanther73
Summary: Sybil and I are doing another FicTicTacToe.  This time, we're doing Nichol and Lady Une with the set Symbols.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Wealth Has Its Privileges

Author: WingedPanther73

Pairing(s)/Characters: Nichol, Lady Une

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Sybil and I are doing another FicTicTacToe. This time, we're doing Nichol and Lady Une with the set Symbols. This is 03. Tattoo.

Warnings: None.

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing, its names and characters belong to Bandai/Sunrise.

Beta Reader/Opponent: Sybil Rowan

Lieutenant Nichol smiled as he hung up the phone with his father. The transfer was as good as done.

It was important for Nichol to be working under the most prestigious, accomplished members of OZ if he were to continue his rapid advancement through the ranks.

Currently, Colonel Une was the rising star, and he intended to ride her coat-tails as far as possible. The fact that she was clearly from aristocracy was just a bonus. She doubtless had many useful connections he could take advantage of, as well.

* * *

"Lieutenant Vladimir Nichol, reporting for duty, Ma'am."

The woman with the severe bun glanced up at him through her glasses. He stretched forth his arm with his papers, which she accepted. She opened the folder and glanced at them briefly, before nodding to herself.

"Welcome to my unit, Lieutenant. Don't disappoint me."

He saluted smartly. "No, Ma'am."

"Dismissed."

"Thank you, Ma'am." He turned smartly and marched from her office. Once he had left her office, he allowed a smile to spread from his heart to his face. He was here! He was finally only two steps below the mighty General Khushrenada. Soon, he would come to the General's attention and be raised to a position appropriate for a man of his background.

* * *

A week later, Nichol responded to a summons to the Colonel's office. "Lieutenant Nichol, reporting as ordered, Ma'am."

She looked up and removed her glasses. There was a thoughtful look on her face as she said, "At ease, Lieutenant." Nichol promptly assumed the wider stance appropriate to her order. "No, really, at ease."

He knew his face held a puzzled expression. "Pardon?"

"Relax, Nichol. You're not here in an official capacity. Take a seat and stop acting so stiff." Nichol was completely baffled, but stiffly sat down, per her orders. She got a strange look on her face. "Relax, Nichol!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" He then attempted to figure out what he was supposed to do while the Colonel rested her face on the palm of her hand.

Finally, she sighed and lifted her eyes. "Nichol, I have a personal policy to have a relaxed meeting with every one of my subordinates. I like to know who's working with me beyond what's in their file. So far, I'm starting to wonder if you know how to act like a human being."

Nichol looked at her in complete bafflement. He had never had a superior treat him like this. "Is this supposed to be that meeting?"

"It was, but it's clear to me that it won't work. Meet me at DaVinci's at oh-nine hundred hours. Do not be there in uniform. Dress casual. It will be dutch, and we won't be the only ones there."

Despite his complete confusion, he managed to sputter a, "Yes, Ma'am."

She returned her glasses to her face. "Dismissed."

* * *

Nichol's discreet queries revealed that what the Colonel was doing was not unusual at all. It seemed that about once a week, she would select a different group of about five of the personnel to spend the evening with. It was always casual, unofficial, and fun. It was not uncommon for a private to be seated next to a lieutenant.

Nichol thought it was madness, but he did understand that it was a casual dinner. He carefully selected a pair of khakis, a short-sleeved button down shirt, a brown belt, and his reddish-brown dress shoes. He made a point of leaving the top button undone. A quick appraisal in the mirror confirmed that he looked quite relaxed. He hoped he wasn't under-dressed.

When he arrived at the restaurant, he was faced with confusion. He had heard from the others on the base that DaVinci's was an excellent Italian restaurant, but when he pulled into a parking spot, he saw people wearing jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers. What kind of quality restaurant would tolerate that type of clothing?

As he stepped in, his ears were assaulted with the noise of talking and the music of the common man. The waitress guided him to a table when he requested the "Une party", but he didn't see any. He was more confused when he saw the table. There was no sign of the Colonel at the table at all!

Glancing over the people present, he realized that he didn't own a single piece of clothing that could be considered "casual" by this crowd. Facing his direction was a young female private wearing jean shorts and a tank top. Next to her was another lieutenant with a band t-shirt and jeans. His eyes continued to scan for the Colonel, noting people in various states of improper attire.

The worst was the woman whose back was to him. She had straight brown hair down to the middle of her back, and she was wearing a sleeveless shirt that showed off her tattoos. She had a pair of angel wings imprinted on her back, partially concealed by the shirt. They were large enough that they probably covered most of her back. The open seat was across from the woman who could only be street trash.

As he circled the table, she looked up at him and smiled. "Welcome, Vladimir, I was starting to think you wouldn't make it." With shock, he realized that the woman who reminded him of street trash was his superior. "Why are you dressed up? Didn't I say this was casual?"

Nichol didn't know what he mumbled, he was too shocked. To his further embarrassment, the private, whose name he didn't recall, piped up. "Now, Ann, perhaps he's been in uniform too long, and doesn't remember how to dress down." Everyone laughed, and Nichol hid his face.

The evening didn't improve. He silently vowed to never do this again. He would not degrade himself be associating with common people.

* * *

The next day, he was summoned to the Colonel's office again. "Lieutenant Nichol, reporting as ordered."

The glasses didn't come off, this time, as the stern gaze was leveled on him. "Nichol, it's clear that you didn't enjoy the company last night. You will not be subjected to that again."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"Understand this, it did not reflect well on you."

"Ma'am?"

"Your subordinates need to respect you. They also need to be appreciated by you. I respect General Khushrenada a great deal, and he shows me appreciation. You did not inspire respect or show appreciation, last night. That concerns me. I will be keeping a close eye on you, Lieutenant."

He hadn't realize the prior evening was a test, of sorts, or that he had failed. "Understood, Ma'am." This wasn't going to be as easy as he had thought.

"Dismissed." He could feel her stern, disapproving gaze on him as he retreated from her office. This was not going as he had planned, at all.


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: Sybil and I are doing another FicTicTacToe. This time, we're doing Nichol and Lady Une with the set Symbols. This is move 4: 01. Arrow.

Nichol smiled as he reviewed the new recruits. None of them had ever piloted anything more advanced than a maintenance suit. If they were lucky, a handful of them would be competent enough to be promoted to Sergeant in a few months. For now, they were all at his mercy.

Nichol considered it his personal mission to show these no-pedigree losers just how much they had to learn to achieve competence. The fact that they didn't even have the sense to get proper hair cuts was all he needed to know. Some of them, like the kid with the hair in his eyes, would be very shocked when they were stuck as privates for the duration of their careers in OZ.

"Your task, today, is to become acquainted with the OZ Taurus mobile suit by using a simulator. You will be conducting mock battles with each other. Those who show the most promise will be considered for promotion to private first class. Do you understand me?"

Nichol smiled as he received a disorganized "Sir, yes Sir!" from the recruits. He didn't know why they bothered with these low-class space spawn. He escorted them to the simulators and got them locked in. It would be a long afternoon waiting for them to figure out how to maneuver with competence.

* * *

Nichol shot like an arrow into Colonel Une's office. "Colonel, how could you do this?"

The Colonel raised her eyes to gaze at him through the reflection on the lenses. "How could I do what, Lieutenant?"

"How could you promote a commoner from the colonies like that?"

"You mean, Lieutenant Barton?"

"Exactly! How could you elevate him to that rank?"

"I was rather disappointed in it, myself. I really feel that a talent like his deserves to be at least a Major, but I'm only allowed to grant a field promotion to First Lieutenant. Don't worry, I've recommended him for Major."

Nichol spluttered. "That is completely unreasonable! It's common practice to raise a few to Sergeant after a month, but this! And at the end of the first week!"

Colonel Une scowled dangerously. "Do you have a problem with my decision, Second Lieutenant Nichol?"

Nichol wanted to protest, but he suddenly realized two things. First, he had not processed that Barton had been promoted above him. Second, if he didn't shut up, he suspected he was in risk of a further demotion. The colonel had proven herself to be erratic, already. He didn't want to see how willing she was to trump his connections.

He gulped down the protest he wanted to make, and slowly shook his head. "No, Ma'am. I was just surprised."

"Let me make this very clear to you, Vladimir. I don't care for your attitude, but you are a competent soldier. I don't know why you were promoted to Lieutenant, and I don't really care, but in my command, ranks are earned by merit, not connections. Lieutenant Barton is an extraordinarily talented young man. You would do well to try to learn from him."

Nichol could only blink, his mind refused to comprehend what his ears had heard.

"You're dismissed, Lieutenant." Nichol left, feeling like he'd been punched. He would find a way to discredit the commoner, and get a promotion from this psycho while he was at it.


	3. Chapter 3

Summary: Sybil and I are doing another FicTicTacToe. This time, we're doing Nichol and Lady Une with the set Symbols. This is move 6: 08. Map.

Nichol reviewed the situation in his mind. The Colonel was cracking up. He had been shocked when he had seen the tattoo on her back, but her behavior was becoming increasingly erratic. It was true that she was proving to be an effective negotiator, but was she truly serving the purposes of OZ, or some twisted agenda?

He looked at the map of the colonies before him and scowled in frustration. She was not conquering the colonies, she was crafting treaties. What good are treaties when trying to rule the Earth Sphere? It was necessary to rule them, not coddle them.

The difficulty was simple, really. The commoners in space couldn't be trusted to rule themselves, and treaties just left them with their misguided notions.

What was more disturbing was the strange personality flips the Colonel was going through. At one moment, she seemed to be a naive politician who couldn't see danger anywhere, and at the next moment she was a viciously ruthless military woman would annihilate anyone in her way. The strange dichotomy was disturbing, and made her a danger to the soldiers under her command.

He tried to remember when he had realized she was truly a danger. He had known she was strange when he'd seen the tattoo. What kind of officer would have such a tramp tattoo on her back? What kind of officer would try to be friends with those in her command?

Then there was the bizarre event with the Barton promotion. To promote a commoner so fast made no sense. To ignore the connections his father had, and actually threaten to demote him, was insanity.

Now, she was showing signs of split personality. He needed to get word to his father, and through him the generals, before she could destroy everything OZ had worked for. The only problem was, she was being effective.

How do you show mental incompetence, when all the evidence shows the opposite? What was worse was the bastard Khushrenada would protect her. He was the darling of Romefeller, last he'd heard.

Perhaps that was the tactic he would have to take. If Colonel Une was erratic and unstable, and Khushrenada didn't have the sense to restrain her, then what did that suggest about his judgment?

* * *

Vladimir smiled as he read his father's letter. Khushrenada was under house arrest, pending an investigation into his crimes against Romefeller. Soon, the Crazed Colonel would be removed from her position, and the commoner Barton as well.

He could see the map of his future. The path to advancement would soon be cleared.


	4. Chapter 4

Summary: Sybil and I are doing another FicTicTacToe. This time, we're doing Nichol and Lady Une with the set Symbols. This is move 8: 04. Gift.

Vladimir found himself grinding his teeth in frustration. The commoner Barton had not been demoted, nor had Colonel Une. Worse, the commoner seemed to be having a positive impact on the Colonel's mental stability. She was becoming more whole, again.

To make matters worse, Khushrenada was merely under house arrest. He had not been demoted, and his influence continued to extend inordinately far into space. The situation was becoming unbearable. At this rate, he would not continue to advance.

Now, he was forced to wait outside her office while she finished some other paperwork. He was at her mercy, a minor officer in her estimation. He was waiting on a colonel with a tramp tattoo, when he should be giving her orders.

At last, he was given permission to enter. She had her glasses on, and a severe expression to go with them. "Welcome, Lieutenant Nichol."

"Ma'am."

"Ever since you joined my command, I've become aware of some unusual politics surrounding you. I've had... 'firm'... recommendations that I recommend you for promotion. I've had unusual scrutiny into my performance of my duties. Everything that seems to irritate you comes to the attention of my superiors."

Nichol merely gazed at Colonel tramp, unwilling to acknowledge the accusations she was hinting at.

"I decided to find out what an incompetent like you is doing with the rank of Second Lieutenant." Well, a person in his position deserved far more, but he didn't really see the point. He was far from incompetent. He was a leader by birth. "I quickly discovered that your father is Aleksander Nichol."

Vladimir nodded as he said, "Yes, Ma'am."

"The same Aleksander Nichol who supplies nearly all the munitions used by OZ."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"It's a good thing you didn't mention your father's name before. You're nearly as odious a gift as his last one to me."

Vladimir looked at her with confusion. "Gift, Ma'am?"

She smiled evilly. "You see, Lieutenant, I've had encounters with your father before. He's a very well known man in the streets of Paris. Every time he visited on business, he felt the urge to quench the appetites of a man away from his wife."

Vladimir felt confused. What was she saying? What was she accusing his father of?

"I feel sorry for your mother, Vladimir. Aleksander is not a gentle man, and he is not discrete. I'm sure she didn't appreciate him bringing her diseases."

Vladimir could feel the heat rising in his face. "How dare you..."

"He gave me Chlamydia."

Vladimir's jaw dropped.

"I was lucky, some of the girls he spent time with needed bones set. Mr. Treize saw my potential and rescued me from that life, but it has marked me."

Vladimir could do nothing but stare. She had been with his father? For money?

"Now, let me make this clear to you, Lieutenant. You will cease to interfere with me, or I will personally see to it that you are the ranking officer in Siberia. I will not be satisfied with having the recommendation on your file. You will be there. Do I make myself clear?"

He gulped. There was a fire in her eyes, and venom in her tone, that told him she was barely restraining herself from inflicting all the hurt she had received at his father's hands on his head.

"Perfectly, Ma'am."

"Dismissed, Lieutenant _Nichol_." His name came out with a sneer, and he fled.

Nichol decided he would have a very different attitude from now on.


End file.
